Lynette, Author at Lynette Bishop Snell

International Incident Occurs at Local Garage Sale

Lynette — Fri, 01 May 2009 18:30:01 +0000

Yesterday, I opened my 3-day garage sale. It poured down rain. I still managed to sell a few items. The highlight of my day, however, was the little old Asian couple.

They wandered in huddled under an umbrella, in the midst of a downpour, and proceeded to pick up and discuss almost every object in my garage–in rapid Chinese, no less. At one point , they crossed the “barrier” of tables into the garage sale world equivalent of the DMZ: The “not for sale” zone. The man started picking up my garden tools. He seemed rather taken with a hoe. I tried politely to let them know that the garden tools were not for sale and pointed to the rest of the items for sale in the garage not in this zone. They both smiled and nodded at me, then picked up the rake. At this point, I realized we had another sort of barrier with which to contend: the language barrier.

They should have had a sign that said “No English Spoken Here” for I would have saved myself a lot of foolish gestures and explanations. I even think (shudder) that I started to speak loudly to them as if they were deaf instead of simply not speakers of my language.

In spite of my repeated actions and shaking of head, the man pulled out the hoe again and, I am not lying, started to hoe some dirt in my yard! I guess he needed to test drive it before purchasing. At this point, my brother, who lives in Florida but was getting a blow-by-blow account via AIM, said to me “Just give him the dang hoe!”

After about 30 minutes of this interaction, they left. It caused me great amusement and my family and I chuckled over the whole experience.

This morning, I put the kids on the bus and was talking to some neighbors when I saw two Asian gentlemen riding bikes pull into my driveway. I could not believe my eyes…it was the same man! This time he brought along what I presume to be his interpreter….a younger man of Asian decent who actually said the word Hello.

The first thing the older man went for? THE HOE. I thought, “OK. This time I will sell it to him, but for what price?” Well, they soon left without asking about it again, so I decided I had escaped a second potential international incident. That is, until 2 pm.

I looked up and saw my friend, the old Asian man, standing in the garage, holding in his hand…..???? Yup.

THE HOE…

AND…

One quarter.

I thought, “Oh no, old man. You are not going to put me through this three times and get my hoe for a measly quarter.”

I smiled and shook my head, held up a $1.00 bill and said “One dollar.”
He smiled and pulled out a 2nd quarter, offering 50 cents.
I smiled and shook my head. I held up 4 fingers and said “4 quarters.”
He laughed and pulled out two more quarters.

I had won! I negotiated with a little old Asian man who didn’t speak English and held out for more money. That, I think, was the hardest earned dollar I’ve ever made!

Oh well…at least we are still friends with China…at least in my neighborhood!

Although my neighbor pointed out to me that now I am a marked woman: they will come back every time I have a garage sale and try to buy all my garden tools…one at a time for a quarter a piece!

The post International Incident Occurs at Local Garage Sale appeared first on Lynette Bishop Snell.

The Absurdity of Banks

Lynette — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 20:14:52 +0000

I guess banks are hurting more than I realized. They seem to be hoarding their small bills.

Today, I went to a bank right next to my house, to save time, and withdrew money from that bank’s ATM. I paid $3.00 for that convenience. Then I went through the drive thru and asked if they could please change the 5 twenty dollar bills into ones and fives for my garage sale. This is how the conversation went:

Me: Can you please change these twenties into ones and fives?

Teller: And what account is this associated with?

Me (with stupid look on my face): Excuse me?

Teller: Do you have an account with us?

Me: No. I just want to exchange cash for cash. I’m not asking you to cash a check.

Teller: Well, we do not normally do that.

Me: You cannot give me cash for cash?

Teller: Not unless you are an account holder with our bank. But I will do it for you today.

Me (still with stupid look on my face): You are kidding me, right?

Teller: No, I am not.

She proceeded to exchange my money, but under clear duress. I had no idea that it was such big ordeal for banks, who have on hand usually more than $100 in cash, to trade one denomination of currency for another denomination.

When she returned and sent my money to me, she assured me that this was a common practice for ALL banks. This piqued my curiosity. I came home and called my bank. The woman who answered the phone seemed as dumbfounded by my experience as I. So I’m not sure where the original bank teller got her information.

I just know I will NEVER bank with that bank.

Do you see me trying to exchange my money and you won’t let me? Rude!

The post The Absurdity of Banks appeared first on Lynette Bishop Snell.

Pure joy and happiness.

Lynette — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 18:43:54 +0000

This is my cousin Jennifer. She is 44 years old. Because of complications during her birth, she suffered brain damage and has been mentally challenged ever since.

The other day I found her swinging on our swingset, watching a kite being flown in the distance. She was utterly, completely happy. It was a great thrill for her to swing and watch that kite toss about on the wind. I will never forget her look of tranquility.

She has the joy of a child and is blessed enough to be able to have that for the rest of her life. It’s a good lesson for me to remember to enjoy life. It is a blessing from God and worth my time to slow down and enjoy what He has given me.

Thanks, Jen, for the reminder!

The post Pure joy and happiness. appeared first on Lynette Bishop Snell.

Agape

Lynette — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 18:39:33 +0000

From Dictionary.com:

Origin:

1660â€“70

aâ‹…gaâ‹…pe

2â€‚ â€‚/É‘ËˆgÉ‘peÉª, ËˆÉ‘gÉËŒpeÉª, ËˆÃ¦gÉ-/ [ah-gah-pey, ah-guh-pey, ag-uh-]

â€“noun, plural -pae â€‚/-paÉª, -ËŒpaÉª, -ËŒpi/ [-pahy, -pahy, -pee], -pai â€‚/-paÉª, -ËŒpaÉª/ [-pahy, -pahy]

1. the love of God or Christ for humankind.

2. the love of Christians for other persons, corresponding to the love of God for humankind.

3. unselfish love of one person for another without sexual implications; brotherly love.

4. love feast (defs. 1, 2).

I felt this Agape love recently. I experienced it. I absorbed it. I was overwhelmed by it and I do not think I will ever be the same.

Walking amongst Christians who truly love me because of Christ’s love for them…it’s the most humbling sensation and one I hope will never, ever go away.

It has changed the way I love my husband. It has changed the way I love my children. It has changed the way I love my family and friends.

I hope and pray that anyone who reads this post has either known this love or will know it one day in their life.

God is good and He truly loves me. I know I cannot ever be worthy of that love but after experiencing it so completely, I know I want to try my best for the rest of my life.

The post Agape appeared first on Lynette Bishop Snell.

Mamah Borthwick

Lynette — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 23:53:29 +0000

“Loving Frank: A Novel” (Nancy Horan)

In her debut novel, Loving Frank, Nancy Horan delves into the private world of Frank Lloyd Wright and his ongoing love affair with Mamah Borthwick Cheney.

The affair was scandalous, mainly because they were both married, just not to each other, when the affair began. Borthwick was married to Edwin Cheney, a great follower of Wright’s architectural skill. He encouraged his wife to agree to having a home built by Wright…a decision I’m sure he regretted for the rest of his life.

Mamah Borthwick was not the average turn of the (twentieth) century woman. She was a feminist and lived her life as true to her feminist ideals as possible, even at the expense of others. She did not make her decisions lightly, nor without great remorse, but she remained true to herself.

While I disagreed with many of her life choices, I also struggled to balance those same choices with the struggles every woman faced in the early 1900s. She was a suffragist, yet wanted much more for women than voting rights and equal pay. She wanted freedom for all women.

I strongly recommend this book. I found I could not put it down, even when I was disgusted or irritated with Borthwick throughout the story. The fact that Horan, the author, strove to weave the fabric of her story as close to the truth as she could discover, only made it more interesting.

I think the Chicago Tribune’s review sums the book up perfectly:

“An impressive and admirable debut…If FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT is the reason people will pick up this book, MAMAH BORTHWICK is the reason they will keep reading it….”

The post Mamah Borthwick appeared first on Lynette Bishop Snell.

Examiner.com

Lynette — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 20:19:35 +0000

Recently, I signed up to be a local blogger for a website called Examiner.com. I agreed to be the Indianapolis Human Interests Examiner and blog about local stories one would not necessarily hear about on a main stream basis. How hard can it be?

Harder than you might think. I am struggling to focus on stories that are actually interesting and not merely page fillers. It’s difficult to find stories, too. I hope one day to be inundated with stories, but my market is local (Indianapolis) so it limits me to stories that really capture peoples’ eyes.

Keep checking my site…who knows, one day I might uncover a great story that will be picked up by CNN or FoxNews!

The post Examiner.com appeared first on Lynette Bishop Snell.

Best laid plans…

Lynette — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:48:08 +0000

My writing subconscious clearly has been trying to break through the wall surrounding my blogosphere. I want to write but I just won’t take the time. So I think my brain is taking over.

About three weeks ago, I woke up with a brilliant blog post. I crafted it to perfection in my head and knew it would draw in thousands of readers. Perhaps even millions. Then I promptly fell asleep.

Now I have no idea whatsoever…not even a hint…of what that blog post would have been about.

Oh well…as I said, the best laid plans….blah blah blah.

The post Best laid plans… appeared first on Lynette Bishop Snell.

Freedom of Choice Act

Lynette — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:24:01 +0000

This morning, I started doing a bit more research on this legislation. The more I read, the more horrified I became.

Up until this point, I have been hopeful that President-Elect Obama would be reasonable and not barge into the Oval Office with the sole intent of turning the United States into something it’s not. Then I saw the video of him speaking at a Planned Parenthood rally during his campaign. He made comments like “culture wars are so 90s” and “We want a new day in America. We’re tired of fighting about the same ole stuff” and “there will always be people who do not share my views on the issue of choice…and on this fundamental issue I will not yield…” By the time the video was finished, I was outraged.

This is why I did not vote for Mr. Obama. This is why I will do all in my limited power to fight and oppose him when he starts pushing legislation as extreme and as far-left as the Freedom of Choice Act.

Some highlights of what the FOCA would do, if passed:

This would eradicate state and federal laws that the majority of Americans support, such as:

Bans on Partial Birth Abortion
Requirements that women be given information about the risks of getting an abortion
Only licensed physicians can perform abortions
Parents must be informed and give consent to their minor daughter’s abortion

FOCA would erase these laws and prevent states from enacting similar protective measures in the future.

If passed, FOCA would force all hospitals and doctors to provide abortions, at threat of losing their medical licenses of they refuse! Is this the type of culture that we want? Is this not a war worth fighting? When has fighting a culture war regarding the sanctity of human life ever been passe and out of style? And is this the kind of new day I want for my children in this great country?

I am incensed that President-Elect Obama thinks forcing people who disagree with him to do his will, is giving people a choice. I don’t get it. Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary defines choice as follows (emphasis mine):

1. Act of choosing; the voluntary act of selecting or separating from two or more things that which is preferred; the determination of the mind in preferring one thing to another; election.

As an adoptive mother and as a woman, please tell me, President-Elect Obama, how is forcing me to abide by your way of thinking fighting for my “voluntary act of selecting” a choice which may or may not line up with yours?

I’d love to hear your answer, sir.

In the meantime, go to the Fight FOCA website. Read through their literature, and then if you so voluntarily choose, sign the petition against this horrible proposed law.

The post Freedom of Choice Act appeared first on Lynette Bishop Snell.

Dr. Puff and Mr. Hyde

Lynette — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:39:56 +0000

Inside the house, he’s sweet, furry, and cute:

But let him outside, and he begins implementing his “CEP,” or, “Chipmunk Eradication Program. As he rips the poor creature to shreds, and then proudly leaves its disemboweled carcass at my door step, I scream, “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY SWEET KITTY CAT?”

Then I remind myself, he is only living true to his natural instincts.

Just be glad I didn’t include a picture of the rodent remnants on here. One person scarred for life is quite enough.

The post Dr. Puff and Mr. Hyde appeared first on Lynette Bishop Snell.

Life with Ridgebacks

Lynette — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:00:02 +0000

It usually involves lots of sun, soft padded resting areas (generally a couch or bed), counter surfing, greetings that involve walking between a human’s legs (the height of the human matters not, nor does their choice of attire, i.e. a skirt), goofy behaviors, goofier looks, flipped ears, and more affection than one could ever hope for.

Ahhh…ain’t life sweet?

The post Life with Ridgebacks appeared first on Lynette Bishop Snell.